1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally data collection apparatus including portable data terminal collection units, as, for example, hand-held data entry terminals. More particularly, the invention relates to portable data collection apparatus having printing capability.
2. Background
Portable data entry terminals also referred to as data collection terminals have seen ever increasing market applications in various industrial and commercial fields. Combined data collecting and data processing operations in conjunction with on-site printing operations have a potential for efficiency increases and cost reductions in the management of various types of route operations. In route operations the driver carries the data collection terminal to the customers' premises and enters data relating to the customers' purchases. The entered data may then be used to prepare invoices. Upon return to the vehicle, the driver returns the data collection terminal to a case housing a printer. The case includes electrical and communication connections to couple the data collection terminal to the printer. Data from the data collection terminal are then used to prepare the customers' invoices as immediate records of orders taken or of delivered purchases. At the end of a route, the data collection terminals are removed from the case in the vehicle and are coupled by wired arrangements to a central data processing station, also referred to as a central or host computer. Frequent removals and replacements of the data collection terminals to effect data transfer and printing may bring about some wear and tear on the data collection terminals and also on respective connecting interfaces.
Other fields of use for portable data collection terminals with potential for increases in efficiency relate to store and warehouse operations including activities such as inventory controls, merchandise restocking operations, customer service operations and real time pricing and sales record keeping. In warehouse and retail store operations, the data collection terminals are provided with radio frequency (RF) transceivers to communicate during use with a corresponding transceiver of a central host computer. In this manner data may be transferred on real time basis to the central computer. The data collection terminals may optionally also be equipped with bar code scanning devices as means for collecting bar code data from merchandise. Further options include bar code label printers which may be coupled to the data collection terminal directly or by means of cables. Inherently the combination of various functions increases the bulkiness of the apparatus which in turn affect the ease of working with the apparatus in a convenient manner.
The use of portable or hand-held data collection apparatus is seen as becoming more widespread as the apparatus becomes more practically suited to particular operations. With respect to retail stores and their merchandising operations improved data collection apparatus featuring compactness and improved handling and operational characteristics are desirable.
In retail store operations numerous tasks may be simplified by data collection terminals. Such tasks include among many others stocking merchandise items, price-marking stocked items, and marking shelves with item identifications to determine restocking requirements when empty shelves leave open questions on what items are in need of restocking. Handling the portable data collection terminals becomes at times cumbersome, when at the same time merchandise items and pricing and location information sheets may need to be handled.